Run and Run Fast
by Nixoma
Summary: Watching the opposite side of the mirror, staring at those who stare back at you. Observing those on the opposite side of the tracks. Joining two worlds and possibly finding yourself along the way. AU Ichiruki
1. Selfish Last Words

I uploaded the wrong version the first time (Feels incompetent) so this one should have fewer errors in it. By the way, thanks Picttus for the help!

I do not own Bleach

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It just wasn't fair.

Life just wasn't fair.

Well, this coming from Rukia's point of view as she ran for her life, as per usual. Through alleyways and passageways, she could navigate them all, but that's what became necessary when you lived in the ghetto of Tokyo.

Running for ones life was a natural occurrence, though, completing the run and escaping was not. The rules of the game were simple; run, and run fast. It was a wonder that in such an easy game, there could be so many who failed.

Her dainty footsteps contrasted those of heavier ones pounding behind her. Her feet worked furiously as she attempted to outrun her possible murderers. The rain soaked ground nipped at and chilled her bare feet. They were close, but she could still go faster. Regardless of her tiny appearance, she was one heck of speed demon. Besides, she had also mastered many forms of martial arts, but against many men with weapons, she would fight to no avail.

So, her sass often got her into trouble, but it wasn't like she was going to sit there and take all of their sick comments and prodding. So naturally she had taken the most logical course of action. Stomped up to the guy, slapped him across the face, elbowed his mid-section, and ran.

How many years had she been completing the same routine? Mouthing off to a man with a weapon and then running until she lost her pursuer. How many years had she been asking whatever greater power that tortured her, to cease His persecution. But, nothing had changed despite all the nights she had spent torn and bleeding, lying in a gutter, begging Him to make it all better.

Nothing ever changed.

But hey, she hadn't counted on turning a sharp corner and running full tilt into an… orange… thing? Gravity worked its magic as the two were hurtled backwards. But surely enough as a strangled groan caught her attention as she observed the man beneath her and the orange thing that appeared to be his spiky hair. He wore relatively unscathed clothes, nice running shoes and a _very_ nice watch. Nice facial features, no visible scars, mesmerizing hazel eyes and a frown that said "Hey, I'm trying to cover the teenage angst look here! Get lost or I'll beat the living daylights outta ya". Needless to say, he wasn't from around here… and with hair like that, he wasn't going to last long either.

And apparently neither would she, as someone grabbed her hair and dragged off of the newly encountered man who appeared to be eighteen or nineteen. If he didn't get out of here quick, he may never live past that age. She screamed in pain as her back slid up a brick wall, scraping it and no doubt opening previous wounds. Her hair felt like it would be ripped from her scalp as the offender dragged her off her feet and pinned her against the wall, one hand still gripping her inky tresses and the other held a dagger near her throat. With a snicker he placed his face inches from hers and licked his lips. His name, she had heard it before, but it couldn't have been Japanese, 'Snake', they called him. It must have been an American term of sorts.

So, this would be the end of her seventeen years huh? She couldn't really say that she had imagined dying any other way, besides a few fantasies here and there that would no doubt, never be fulfilled. Regardless, only one should die tonight.

"Get out of here! Run!"

The stranger sat up scrutinizing her and her enemies. She was small and very slight. She wore tattered jeans and a tank top that was torn in revealing areas, so badly tattered that it might have fallen off of her starved body at any moment. She had cropped and dirtied hair, black as night, a nice face and the most mesmerizing violet eyes he had ever seen.

He confusedly stared at the other, the man that was poised to take the life of the stranger that had so rudely crashed down atop of him. Snake, a tall and threatening man with a mess of brown hair and cold, dead, black eyes, that aside, the fact that his clothes were nearly as torn as hers was rather unwelcoming. His red tinted dagger was held to her throat and he glared at her with the most bloodthirsty look he had ever seen.

The other two men, now they were staring at him, their hands dwindling near their back pockets as if deciding whether or not he was worth dulling their blades any more than they already had.

"Are you an idiot?! I said RUN!" His attention was refocused onto the woman (she couldn't have been any older than seventeen) as she screamed at him.

"Listen to the little lady, boy," Snake finally spoke, and his voice dripped with venom, "She may be savin' ya from a good thrashin', or maybe ya wanna be taught a lesson! Toshi! Mitch! Give 'im a good wallop! " The addressed man stood from his spot on the ground, rain cascaded down his face and soaked his clothes. He took a breath and ran head on towards the two men who had yet to unleash their weaponry. He ducked as the one called 'Toshi' threw a punch, and with inhuman agility planted the heel of his hand into Toshi's stomach, causing the man to stumble back while he ran towards him again and did a spinning kick to the side of the poor lackey's head. Sending his attacker face first into a wall and then to a heap on the concrete floor.

"I'd have to be stupid to listen to you!" He retorted.

He winced as he felt a cold blade being plunged into his back, staggering as the one named 'Mitch' ran around him and gave him a heavy blow to the face. There were sounds of tussling as Rukia began pushing against her own attacker, screaming at the man who was now, after an attempt at rescue, a bleeding heap on the floor.

"SHUT UP!" Rukia screeched as the blade was forced into her stomach and then ripped upwards through her chest. She crumpled to the ground, the blade still lodged in her skin, her eyes glazed over and darkness circled her vision. So, once again she would let someone die because of her huh? No, no… she wouldn't, she could save him and he could go back to whatever district, teeming with cash, he lived in and get on with the rest of his life.

While the menace was preoccupied with observing her 'savior' she quietly staggered to her feet and tore the dagger from her body with a wince that Snake seemed noticed. He whirled and threw a punch, aimed at her face, but she ducked and leapt up onto his arm, bringing her heel into his skull with uncanny force. There was a crack as he fell to the floor. She had no time to deal with the trivial matters of whether he was breathing or not, she had to help this stranger!

The 'orange' man had already managed to stand and had taken a great deal of blood loss. With knife cuts from his shoulder to his chest and another slash across his stomach, it was a wonder that he could stand, but then again, a gaping hole in her stomach and up through her chest was nothing to marvel at either. The two men stood parallel to each other, the enemy, 'Mitch', had back nearest to her. Without hesitating she shrunk low to the ground and proceeded to quickly cover the distance between the two. She stood up behind him and brought her arms up to both sides of his face, and then turned it violently; the man sank to the ground with a thud.

Rukia stared at the man across from her. He looked so much like _him_. Maybe… maybe, now she could see _him_, again…

The adrenaline drained from her body and the pain began to set in, she fell to her knees and coughed blood, the deep crimson liquid splattering all over the concrete and stained what was left of her clothes. Her breathing was labored and her world was spinning. So this was it… she gave a small smile as she realized that she wouldn't be dragging anyone down with her tonight. Not ever again.

Her eyelids fluttered closed as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice calling her to open her eyes, nearly begging her as he shook her carefully. She thought that maybe she could be selfish for her last moments and ask for something. All she wanted was: to know his name.

"I-I'm… Ru-uki…a," She hoped he had heard her; it was taking all the strength she had left to whisper those few strained syllables. But maybe the rain would drown out her final wish. Because that's all it was: a wish. And in her life wishes were only granted in fairy tale story books. And if she could be a princess, one who could twiddle her thumbs and everything would be okay, and then maybe she would stay behind, maybe she would keep on living. But, she was no royalty and she never would be granted her heart's desires.

Because life just wasn't fair.

She felt two; well-toned arms come around her body and the feeling of cold and wet concrete disappeared as she felt shielded from the downpour. Her life was slipping and she knew it was only a matter of time. Her breathing became shallow and the man's frown only deepened. The last word that she heard was… "Strawberry".

Then it all faded to gray.


	2. Unpleasant Greetings

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I do not own Bleach.

Alright, so this is chapter two! I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed, it means a lot to me!

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He observed the woman lying next to him, Rukia, she had told him. Without all the chaos, he finally got a good look at her. She had porcelain, flawless skin. Her dark hair was cut shoulder length with an interesting flip at the end and one rebellious strand of hair coming down between her eyes. She now wore his jacket, normal size for him but it enveloped her like a dress. He suddenly realized that her clothes were gone and now she wore only… his jacket… any way you looked at it, he really didn't want it back.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and her once peaceful demeanor was quickly replaced with an expression similar to a deer caught in headlights. Her pupils shrunk as she looked down to see that she that her apparel consisted of nothing more than undergarments, a whole lot of bandages and the jacket of a stranger, and that stranger just happened to be the young man with spiked orange hair, sitting dangerously close to her.

Rukia made a move to sit up but groaned as her body resisted. _She hurt everywhere_! Just what exactly had he done to her last night? She looked around, searching for an escape route. She was lying in an alleyway with only one way out, and unfortunately, he was blocking that direction. Guess the poor boy would soon be in the middle of a near death situation.

Realization that last nights events had already beat her to it struck her like a bullet train, and she calmed as the memories of the night before replaced any insecurity she felt around the man. The fighting, the pain, the blood and then, the wish, it all came back in a rush.

"Strawberry?"

The addressed man looked on completely appalled. "No, it's Ichigo. You know I – chi – go?"

"Why am I here?"

"Well, gee, that's a dumb question! I carried ya here stupid!"

"Why am I still _here_?" She asked calmly, she was far too tired and sore to even point out the fact that the idiot sitting before her was named after a fruit and that he had no right to call _her_ stupid.

"Ah…," Understanding graced his features as he tore his eyes away from Rukia and directed them towards the alley wall that he seemed to find particularly interesting. "I-I carried you to the nearest clinic and they got you bandaged up. They said that there wouldn't be any permanent damage, just a little internal bleeding. When I left, the rain had stopped but I still had nowhere to go… hey! Don't move!"

Rukia jolted upwards, "What?! How much did it cost?! How much do I owe you?! I'll try to pay you back but I don't have much-"She was cut off as a hand roughly pushed her back down and Ichigo stated,

"I don't need any money." And so returned the deer caught in headlights look, just what could this man be planning? Turning back to her and seeing the look of abhorrence on her face he quickly replied to her unspoken inquiry.

"Not like that idiot! You don't hafta pay me at all. I mean, you were a bleeding puddle on the floor; I couldn't just leave you there! Even I'm not that much of a scum bag!"

Rukia sighed and released her pent up tension, but it all retuned as she asked,

"Where… where are my clothes?"

Completely oblivious to the hidden accusation in her statement, Ichigo promptly replied, "Your pants are over there drying," He motioned to the soggy mass draped over the side of the dumpster, "But your shirt was torn in half. The doctor took them off because she said you would have caught a cold. So she bandaged you up and then sent me off, it was pretty chilly out so I gave you my jacket." He looked away from her, trying to conceal the blush that had crept up his cheeks.

"Oh… thanks…" She stared at the floor, nervously clasping her hands together.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't really matter. But what'd you do to provoke those guys anyway?"

"Fool! I- I didn't provoke them! They provoked me!"

"Really? What could one so small have possibly done to provoke so many armed men?" Mockery laced his voice as he stared at the petite woman; she couldn't have been any taller that 5 feet.

"Don't insult me, Strawberry! If you didn't realize, I saved you sorry butt last night!"

He scoffed, "I didn't need a midget to save me! And without me, you'd be dead right now!"

"Insolence!"

"Shorty! H-hey… wait a sec! Don't get up, you'll re-open the wound!"

"Uhn…I don't have the time to deal with you…" She winced and swayed to her feet. Her breathing was heavy, but she could make it home from here. Home… was that was what it had become for her? Maybe…

She doubled over in pain, gasping as the gash in her stomach and chest burst open. Blood soaked through the jacket and splattered on the floor, mingling with the rain that had yet to dry. She sank to her knees and trembled while she coughed more. The orange haired man first walked towards the dumpster, grabbing her soaked pants, then he walked up to her and grasped her shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere like that," he turned around and squatted, motioning for her to jump on. "C'mon, get on, I'll take you home."

"I-I don't think… that would be a good idea…" In reality, bringing Ichigo back home with her could result in his premature death or at the very least a beating greater than the one he had received the night prior.

She moved to stand again, staggering as she took shaky steps. About four steps later, she pressed up against the wall, completely halting whatever she was trying to prove. She would never get home like this. Maybe swallowing her pride and letting him carry her was the best solution. And maybe she could persuade the others that he was one of them.

After all, his crimson t-shirt was now in ruins and his jeans were blood stained… half of it being _her_ blood. Just what terrible horror story had she dragged him into? His orange hair was tousled… orange… now convincing the others that _that _was natural would be no easy feat. After obediently crawling on his back she inquired,

"Hey, strawberry-"

"Ichigo…"

"-is that your real hair color? Or did you just bleach it and dye it like all the other rich folk do?"

"This is my natural color. Don't ask me how, but it's there."

So the conversation ended, communication between the two was only through the directions that Rukia was giving Ichigo. She was remarkably light as Ichigo had no trouble carrying her around. Compared to her tiny form, his 5'7 body was a giant! Regardless though, her weight was more than likely the result of starvation, just what kind of life did these people lead? Why had he come here again… oh, that's right… he belonged here, with outlaws and murderers alike.

He was jolted from his thoughts as he heard a strangled cry coming from none other than the raven haired wonder. There was the sudden feeling of warm liquid soaking through his shirt. Darn it! More of her stitches must have come loose.

"You okay back there?" He used a more gentle voice than he normally would have, but then again, it wasn't everyday he had a bleeding woman clinging to his back.

Her voice was forced as she tiredly replied "I-I'll be f…ine." If he didn't double-time it, she would no doubt die from blood loss. He was _not _going to let her slip away that easily, he was never going to let anyone slip away that easily _again_.

Rukia moaned from the sudden burst of speed, but nonetheless, she guided him with 'lefts and rights'. When he turned the final corner, Ichigo came upon one of the trashiest buildings he'd yet to see. This one was taller tan most of the others, at least thirteen or fourteen floors. Many of the windows were tinted by dust and grime, while others were held together with duct tape. The walls were cracked and their original color was tarnished. All summed up, it was the shabbiest place he'd ever seen! And shabby didn't even cut it! It was dilapidated to say the least.

He helped the wounded girl slide off his back. She stumbled momentarily, Ichigo reaching out to assist her, but she shunned him and proceeded to limp forward, clutching her torso like it would split in half at any moment.

The pounding of footsteps caught their attention as a man, slightly taller than our orange haired friend rushed over. From feet away Ichigo could see him glaring daggers, giving him the whole feeling of "if looks could kill, you'd be ten feet under right 'bout now". The prospect of dying didn't appeal to Ichigo so he cautiously eyed the man who was quickly approaching. With navy, spiked hair, scars and a tattoo running across his face, he was less than welcoming.

No sooner though had he pulled a switchblade from his pocket and began to run at impressive speed.

The blade: Aimed directly at Ichigo's heart.

The scowling teen prepared in a ready stance. He spread his legs and brought his arms out in front of him. Whatever this new opponent decided to bring to the party, he'd welcome it with open arms. After all, his hair color had previously attracted unwanted attention, so he had learnt how to deal with blades of all types, this would be nothing new.

The new opponent was soon upon him, making a move to plant the weapon in Ichigo's throat; when the blade was mere inches from completely decapitating the boy, Ichigo reached out and grasped his wrists. With a quick twist he had succeeded in forcing the enemy to drop the weapon, it tumbling to the asphalt below. Meanwhile Rukia, gone unnoticed, was in the middle of a coughing fit, unable to stop the fight between the two. More blood dirtied her clothes and she was on the verge of loosing consciousness.

The opponent's eyes widened as his blade fell to the floor. With a growl, he jumped, slamming a foot into Ichigo's windpipe and proceeded to push off, flipping backwards and landing expertly on his feet. The orange haired warrior relinquished his grip on the other and fell onto his backside, panting heavily and massaging his abused neck. With a swift kick, Ichigo was sent sprawling, his ribs probably cracked. The other looked down in triumph, but of course, the expression of victory comes in many forms, apparently for this man it was remaining as stoic as ever.

He pulled out three kunai knives, that's right kunai knives! Who the heck carries those around with them all day?! Is he trying to convince us that he's some sort of ninja, carrying other unlawful weapons under his clothes?!

The tattooed man was about to skewer the poor fellow when the sound of mumbled words and retching caught his attention.

"Sh…sh…uu…" She was cut off by another hoarse cough. The corners of her mouth were now dripping blood and she was shaking violently. The tattooed man, rushed to her side, completely loosing interest in his prey. He knelt before her, funny that his kneeling height was barely shorter than when she was standing.

"Rukia baby, you okay?" The hard eyes of the man softened visibly and his cold and violent demeanor melted away instantly. Ichigo almost gagged at the phrase 'Rukia baby', while the girl was small, calling her 'baby' just sounded wrong. Regardless, he continued to observe.

The man knelt before the raven haired woman, gently patting her back as more red fluid sprayed from her mouth. His navy, spiked hair and charcoal eyes gave him a dark look, this further reflected by the three vertical scars running down his face and a tattoo of the number sixty-nine. He had a small bandage running from one ear, across his nose. He wore a choker and an armband to match. His han purple, sleeveless shirt accentuated his overbearing muscles and his tight, ripped jeans only further demonstrated that effect. Besides his face, deep scars were visible almost everywhere he could see skin. Any way you looked at it, the guy must have been tough to withstand so many wounds.

He was snapped out of his reverie as Rukia finally strung a sentence together, "Shuuhei, he…he helped me!" Despite her desperation, the phrase came out fairly weak.

"What?!" The man named 'Shuuhei' blurted out; he whirled to face the other teen that had yet to stand. Giving him a cold stare, he gathered Rukia in his arms, placing one hand behind her scraped knees and the other behind her back. She remained in that position without saying much, the fatigue of the last twenty-four hours finally settling in.

Wait, the name Shuuhei… it sounded familiar, but who did he know that went by that name? Could this be _the _Hisagi Shuuhei, the lone man talked about amongst the gang members that attended his school? The one who had been affronted by about ten men and had nearly destroyed them all? Well, the tattoo matched the description… If this really was Hisagi, then Ichigo would shut up immediately, knowing that the wounds he had received were only a quarter of the enigma's true potential.

Hisagi turned, set to walk off to the trashy little building he resided in but without facing Ichigo stated, "If you really did help her, then I am in your debt." With his final words said, he began his march. Ichigo watched the retreating figure, wondering exactly what he could do next. Shoving his hands in his pockets he looked around, not much but little shacks and the monstrous building that Rukia and Hisagi were heading for.

Signs of protest coming from the pair caught his attention. From the distance he was at, Ichigo noticed Rukia arguing and Hisagi attempting to reason with her.

"Hey, you! Strawberry, come!" Why the nerve of the little devil! Ordering _him_ around and calling _him_ Strawberry! Had she no respect for the man who had _just _saved her life? But, if he refused she might as well have sent sixty-nine over here to drag him into the edifice, pulp or not.

Completely ignoring his intuition he went along with the two, into the decayed artifact, following the pair up about nine flights of stairs (all of which never seemed to have fazed the navy haired man), keeping his eyes forward the entire time, ignoring the death stares he was receiving. Walls, coated in grime, paint peeling, the floor boards uneven; this place was a regular hovel! But he obediently pursued, and eventually the man carrying Rukia nudged open a door and led Ichigo into what must have been Rukia's room.

Now, this would be interesting.

He entered cautiously, watching as Hisagi set Rukia down on the sole piece of furniture in the apartment, if that's what you wanted to call it… In the center of the room, there was a mattress and a mess of blankets, stained red. The white tile floor was decorated with spots of blood and mud. The originally white walls had turned a shade of yellow and paint was peeling everywhere. There were two other rooms; one was a bathroom, with a toilet, sink and… shower… nasty looking thing. Then there was a kitchen, unwashed dishes littered the counter and moss had settled in the sink. The oven was charred and burnt and the microwave was home to some yellowish green home experiment.

"Strawberry!"

"It's ICHIGO! KUROSAKI ICHIGO! You ungrateful littl-" In less than a millisecond, the large form of Hisagi Shuuhei was before him, eyes silently screaming "Die". "Erm… what?"

"Kurosaki, huh? Interesting… anyway gimme my pants back," Ichigo swore he heard Hisagi growling. Ichigo hastily pulled the forgotten piece of clothing from his belt and tossed it at her.

"Well, again Kurosaki-san, I would like to thank you for saving Rukia's life, but if you'll excuse us, I must now dress her wounds." Ichigo understood he was being dismissed and began backing away towards the door that was barely on its hinges. He had his hand on the doorknob when Rukia stopped him.

"Wait, do you have a place to go?" Not turning, Ichigo shook his head to the negative.

"Then, as payment, you can stay here for a while."

"Rukia, I don't believe-"

"Shuuhei! He saved my life last night! It's the least I can do."

"Hisagi-san…I…" The navy haired teen seemed relatively shocked that this intruder knew his name and furthermore, was respecting it.

Ichigo was about to decline when he was blown over by a red blur speeding towards Rukia. "Rukia! Where were you?!" A new male voice chimed in. "You-you didn't go out alone, did you?" Concern was evident in his voice as the new addition gripped her shoulders more tightly than he should have. The small woman winced and began pushing him away.

"Renji! Calm down!"

"Please Abarai-kun, Rukia's not feeling well."

Ichigo examined the scene unfolding before him and the new entrant, this teen, seemingly eighteen, was slightly taller than he. His fiery red hair was tied up and a bandana held the front in place, his whole hairstyle was reminiscent of a pineapple, a big, red pineapple. He wore clothes that looked like they had come from a 60s history book. Flared jeans, a yellow t-shirt and a sleeveless white jacket, all of which screamed "I'm blind, please help me." His disturbing fashion sense aside (or lack thereof), his entire face and arms were covered with what appeared to be tribal tattoos. Maybe pointing out the fact that pineapple head had funny eyebrows, wouldn't be the brightest idea.

No sooner than later, Abarai Renji turned to Ichigo with killing intent set in his eyes. His brows furrowed in disgust as he looked at the flaming haired boy with obvious hatred.

"What's he doing here?! Rukia… did he do this to you?!"

"Renji, wait! He-"

"What's your name boy?" Renji kicked Ichigo's foot with surprising force. The latter stood his hazel eyes boring into black ones.

"Why should I tell you?" Ichigo pulled a cool facade, hoping to aggravate his opponent to the point where he could find a good opening in his defenses.

"Doesn't really matter," Renji spat. "But I'll tell you mine… Abarai Renji… is the name of the man who killed you!"

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Alright, just to clarify one or two things, first off, in this story, the Ichiruki realtionship will be sped up a little more than a normal relationship would. Afterall, they DID save each others lives.

Secondly, Rukia and Hisagi are not romantically involved. The word 'baby' was put in to accentuate their friendship and will be further explained. Although, there will be some Hisagi and Rukia attraction, this will still be an Ichiruki story.

Thank you so much and please review, it means a lot!


	3. Meet the Family

I do not own Bleach.

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"_Doesn't really matter," Renji spat. "But I'll tell you mine… Abarai Renji… is the name of the man who killed you!"_

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The six foot man stood in front of Ichigo, his eyes ignited with murderous intent. From this point on, there would be no reasoning with Abarai, this further proven when he whipped out a combat knife. With a blade the length of his hand and sharpened to the point, it was worthy of Ichigo's shocked reaction. Did everyone around here carry some form of weaponry?!

Ichigo brought his arms up and shielded his torso from what could have been a fatal slash, as result though; his left arm now housed a jagged gash that was bleeding profusely. Stabs came again and again, the orange haired teen narrowly dodging each blow. He stumbled away from his attacker, trying to add some distance between them and asses the situation.

Exhibit A: large man brandishing a combat weapon capable of slicing him in two.

Exhibit B: The gap between the two was closing as his back hit the wall.

Exhibit C: There was at least one more occupant in the room carrying a weapon.

Needless to say, Kurosaki Ichigo was going to have to think his way through this one.

Whenever he had fought before, it had been against amateurs who had grabbed a weapon and claimed that they could use it. He had never fought indoors, always in alleys with at least two methods of escape.

It was then he noticed the only female voice in the room screaming "Stop" at the top of her lungs. Hisagi was restraining her, but neither he nor the pineapple paid too much attention.

The man resembling a cult member thrust the blade towards Ichigo's stomach, and at the last moment possible, the strawberry spun, avoiding the blow. Renji's knife sunk into the wall and he, without a weapon.

Ichigo read the confusion on his opponent's face, finding the opening he had hoped for. He lunged forward, looking as if to plant a fist in Renji's face. Thinking he had read the orange man's intentions, Renji kicked his foot out; completely oblivious that Ichigo had dropped to the floor. Strawberry swung his leg, catching Abarai in the ankle, sending him sprawling. Not missing a beat, Ichigo leaped and sat on Renji's chest, his knees restraining his arms, and his hands lingering near his throat.

Renji struggled against the iron grip, soon surrendering. Ichigo crawled off him and retrieved the blade from the wall, pointing it at the man gaping on the floor. Sighing in defeat, Renji turned his attention to Rukia, who was being held by Hisagi.

"Renji! He didn't touch me!" Finally finding her voice, Rukia wriggled out of Shuuhei's grip and knelt before Renji, "If anything, this orange headed idiot saved my life last night. There's no reason to hurt him anymore… even if he is a stuck-up rich." Ichigo tensed at the comment.

"How do you know he won't do anything to you?! He's one of _them_ Rukia!"

"He had his chance last night when I was unconscious in an alleyway. He didn't touch me then, besides, he couldn't lay a finger on me even if he tried, and you know that. Please Renji, trust me." She stood, pulling the beaten man with her.

"His gang's probably waiting for the signal to get us all." Abarai tore his eyes from the raven haired woman in front of him, mumbling indirect curses.

"Or he could have been _sent_," Shuuhei added solemnly. What was with these people and their code words? He was one of _them_, he had been _sent_? These people were crack-pots and he knew it.

"Hey! Pineapple head, shouldn't I be part of this conversation too?"

In a flash Renji had wrapped his hands around Ichigo's throat and slamming his head against the wall. Kurosaki let out a slight cry and Renji pressed harder, "You're going to wish you were dead." Ichigo cocked an eyebrow.

"You wish." Renji growled and dug his nails into the flesh of Ichigo's neck.

"You son of a-" The red head suddenly winced and immediately released the teen in front of him.

"Play nice." Rukia stated with a grimace while gripping red strands of hair. She brutally pulled and Renji stepped away from his confused enemy. Rukia tugged again and Renji got to his knees, trying to swipe away the tiny hand he couldn't reach.

"Oi! Rukia!" He continued to struggle, but only succeeded in having his hair pulled harder.

"Will you be nice to our guest?" She asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"He's not a guest! He's the freakin' enemy! There's no way I-" Little strands of hair were being pulled from his scalp, "O-okay! Fine! I got it, just lemme go!" Rukia complied and Renji sprawled out on the floor massaging his head, all the while, shooting death glares.

"Good, now _you_ are going to sleep in _that_ corner!" She pointed confidently to what looked like a nest of dust bunnies. She looked at Ichigo expectantly, practically urging him to march over and curl up with the living filth. There was absolutely no way that this midget was going to force him anywhere.

"Rukia baby, I don't believe that would be the best idea." Hisagi intervened before Strawberry had the chance.

"Well, where else can he go? You're already sharing a room with Madarame-kun." We can't put two idiots together or they'll kill each other," Her comment was met with two shouts of protest. "And there are no vacant rooms in the building. So, it's only logical that he stay here!"

"Uh, Rukia baby, that's not exactly the point…"

"C'mon you know he can't touch me! And I'm not going to send him out onto the street after he saved my life!"

"If you won't _I_ will!" Renji yelled, still clutching his head.

"Ahem, Renji…" The said man turned to watch several of his hairs drop from Rukia's clenched fist and flutter to the ground. Renji cringed and decided he might just shut his trap, for the sake of his hair. "Alright, both of you, out!" The midget pointed towards the door, motioning for the two unwanted men to get lost. Renji promptly stood and strutted out.

Ichigo watched the scene unfold. These guys were wimps. The _great_ Hisagi Shuuhei and Abarai Renji were answering to a tiny woman, no taller than his sisters…

His sisters, Yuzu and Karin. The same two sisters he had left behind without as much as a note. Had he made the right choice?

Yes…yes, they would be fine without him…

He snapped out of his thoughts as a rough hand clenched his shoulder. He felt a searing pain, but refused to show any change in emotion. "I should warn you. If anything happens to Rukia, you answer to me." Hisagi's voice chilled him to the very core; his eyes were focused on the retreating form of Abarai Renji. For a moment, his cold stare casually drifted to Ichigo's hazel orbs, there was a flicker of something sinister hidden within. "I will return shortly to tend to Rukia's wounds. He released the stubborn boy and continued walking.

"So, Strawberry…" She stated matter-of-factly.

"KUROSAKI ICHIGO!" He screamed, using hand motions that indicated he might have to rip her head off.

"Whatever, Kurosaki Strawberry…"

"And what about you, midget?! I don't hear a family name from you!" He pointed an accusatory finger.

"Oh, are you curious?" She questioned slyly.

"Not at all, stupid."

"Could the great strawberry be interested in little ol' me?" She sugar coated her voice, adding more sarcasm than was necessary, but it served its purpose of aggravating carrot-top.

He scoffed, "Yeah, like anyone would be interested in someone the size on a pre-schooler!"

"H-how dare you!" Her mood took a 180 spin and, with those final words she swiftly kicked Ichigo's shin and smirked triumphantly.

Regardless the searing pain, messing with the midget's head would be fun.

But then again…

"Do you not find that unwise? To further provoke someone who is skilled in many forms of martial arts?" Both jumped at the new voice. Ichigo quickly searched the room, looking for the intruder; he was startled and mildly disturbed to find a white haired boy leaning against the far wall. So, this kid had made his way through the door and all the way to the other side of the room without being noticed? Now, that was stealth.

The child was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed arrogantly. He wore torn jeans, a black collared shirt and a beige hoodie. His hair was spiked higher than the other men and he stood much shorter than Rukia. There was a long, sheathed katana on his back.

"Ah! Hitsugaya-san, good evening!" Rukia squeaked from beside Ichigo.

"Not so much, shorty." Ichigo glared at the youngster, Rukia gaped beside him, frantically making apologetic gestures towards the boy while trying to glare Ichigo to death.

"Shorty? My name is Hitsugaya Toushiro and I suggest you begin calling me that."

"Whatever, kid. Hey Rukia, I guess I was wrong. You aren't the tiniest person I've ever met." Ichigo stalked towards the child who merely opened one eye, revealing it to be an eerie, icy turquoise color. The larger man placed and unwanted hand on the boy's head. "Why don't you go play with your toys, little boy." Kurosaki motioned to the sword and Hitsugaya only frowned slightly and brushed the hand away.

"Refer to me as Histugaya." The response was brief and the boy's shoulders tensed.

"Make me." Even more brief.

The boy sighed and flashed open both eyes, before the strawberry had time to react, Histugaya had pushed off the wall and slid through Ichigo's legs, quickly getting to his feet. Ichigo, still stunned was in the midst of turning when the smaller opponent reached up and grabbed his collar and placed a foot behind his left heel. Hitsugaya pulled and Ichigo began to lose his balance, he tried to regain his footing, but soon felt the midget leave his place behind him. In a flash, the mini assassin was standing in front of the falling man; he quickly swung a knee into the orange haired man's stomach and watched as he fell to the floor with an undignified thud.

"As you wish."

There was a short staring contest in which Toushiro had unsheathed his katana and pointed in towards Kurosaki's throat.

"Forgive my powerlessness Hitsugaya-san! He will not be so quick to insult you next time, I assure you!" Rukia gripped the boy's orange tresses and dragged him to his feet, ignoring the cursing and grumbling. Hitsugaya Toushiro began to walk away, sheathing his katana. His light footsteps made barely a sound on the old hardwood.

"Hisagi-san is on his way down. Do not anger him Kurosaki." The boy stalked away… hopefully.

"Stupid kid." Ichigo continued to rant, disregarding the fuming woman beside him. "Wait…how'd he know my name…? I'll kill that brat!" He made a move to follow the munchkin but was restrained by a small hand, gripping his belt.

"You arrogant son of a-"

"Whoa! Big words coming from such a tiny person!" She replied with a swift kick to his other shin.

"THAT was Hitsugaya-san! The leader of this floor in the building!"

"So you guys have leaders for each floor? And I thought my family was weird…" Well, it would seem that this building was full of crack heads. "Why should I go along with your band of weirdoes anyway?!

"How dare you." There was a moment of silence in which the two exchanged death glares. Ichigo promptly diffused the situation by sticking his tongue out at Rukia defiantly. The woman's eyes narrowed into slits. "I'll kill you!" She swung a fist aimed for his face and barely missed.

"You and what army? Would that be your gang here? Sorry, but I don't take orders from anyone, especially not your kind of people."

"Listen, you." She reached up and roughly grabbed his collar, "You have no right to insult any of the people here." She tilted her head down slowly, her bangs covering her eyes, absolute fury and rage hidden within them. "You of all people have no right." Her voice was cold and impersonal, yet her entire body trembled with vexation; her fists were clenched by her sides. "How can you see how we live and still mock us? How can you treat us like nothing when we go through life, working harder than any of you?! You disregard us as humans! While you, yourselves act so inhumanely towards us!" Her head snapped up, abhorrence was set in every crease and line in her face.

She stormed past him, barely wincing at the pain in her chest. She stopped at the doorway and told him in a much calmer voice. "I am going to see Shuuhei, then I will come back and prepare diner. You are not to leave this room." Her back was still turned to him, as he stumbled towards her in his stupor.

"Hey, wait."

"You may stay here for four months. After that time is over, my debt is paid and you must find somewhere else to reside, or go home." With that she left the room, not even bothering to close the door behind her.

* * *

Woah... such a long time since I've updated...oh boy.

I am still desperately searching for a beta reader! Right now, I make all the corrections, and after reading the same thing over and over, it gets difficult to catch mistakes. I apologize for any spelling errors etc.

I'm really considering completely re-writing the entire story. I'm not very happy with it so far, but maybe when I find a beta, I can make it much better.

Please review.


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